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Your narrator, the Leader
The Leader attended the North Carolina Comicon in Raleigh, North Carolina 15 and 16 March 2019. He had never been to this comic show before but he decided to go see his comic dealer friends Rick Fortenberry and his partner Banks Robinson. The Leader enjoyed going out to dinner with Rick and Banks for two nights during the show where many important topics pertaining to popular culture were discussed. The Leader also enjoyed seeing some of his other dealer friends, Mario Russo, Josh Almond & Chris Rigo. The Leader is done with attending comic shows for awhile and has returned to his Lair until maybe venturing forth again for the Tidewater Comicon in his town of Virginia Beach, Virginia in May.

You are on Page 1 of the Leader's Report on the North Carolina Comicon 2019.
Click here for Page 2 of the Leader's Report on the North Carolina Comicon 2019
Click here to return the Main Introduction Page for the Leader’s Report on the Captain's Comic Expo and the South Carolina Comicon
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Friday 15 March 2019
Rick Fortenberry & Banks Robinson
The first day of the show was late Friday afternoon so the action was slow but Rick and Banks stand ready for whatever action may fall their way.
Rick Fortenberry
Rick bought from a collector who has been selling him comics of late these two desirable comics: Superman #11, 1941 and Superman #68, 1951 with a Lex Luthor cover. Rick told me this is the first time that Supes’s main villain Luthor had appeared on the cover of the Superman title. Luthor had been vexing Superman since 1940 and you would think he would have made the cover of Superman before 1951!
Banks Robinson
Banks has lots of rare, esoteric comics like these two issues of the Dell comic Private Secretary #2 and #1 both from 1963. Only these two issues of this comic were produced and leave it to Banks to have both of them.
Banks Robinson
One of my favorite genres of comics is the pre-Marvel or “monster” comics from the late 1950s and early 1960s before Marvel replaced their titles with superheroes. I like them partly because they have art by Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko were the main Marvel superhero artists during the later 1960s. Banks always has some on hand. Here’s three issues of Tales Of Suspense #14, 1961; #35, 1962; #28, 1962. The #35 with Zarkorr is thought to be a Watcher prototype due to Zarkorr’s bulbous head and cowl. The #28 is a sentimental favorite of mine since it was one of the few pre-Marvel I had new as a kid back in the early 1960s.
Mario Russom
Mario Russom of Atlanta, Georgia is another gypsy life style dealer who sets up at over 35 shows a year. I last saw him at the South Carolina Comicon in Greenville 9-10 March. Here’s Mario helping out a young female customer who may be a budding Star Wars collector.
Mario Russom
I’ve loved EC comics since I first started collecting them in the early 1970s. Heree’s Mario with Weird Science #5 (Al Feldstein cover), Weird Science #15, 1952 (Wally Wood cover), Vault Of Horror #27, 1952 (Johnny Craig cover).
Mario Russom
Mario with Fantastic Four #26, 1964 sporting one of the most spectacular action covers of Marvel’s Silver Age comics. 12 cents went a long way in those days.
Patrick Sullivan
Patrick Sullivan with the only example of a Silver Age original art splash page in the entire dealers’ room. I know it’s only Millie the Model but $350 still somehow seems very reasonable for 1960s original comic art.
Rudy Mitchell
Rudy Mitchell of Black Dog Collectables with three Marvel / Atlas horror comics: Adventures Into Terror #8. 1952; Journey Into Mystery #23, 1955; Adventures Into Terror #1952 (Bill Everett cover). Journey Into Mystery was one of the few titles that survived the Atlas Implosion of 1957 and later became the home of the Mighty Thor in issue #83, 1962, who is still one of Marvel’s main superheroes.
Joe Kindle
Joe Kindle of Hollywood Joe’s Memorablia had this nice display of framed autographs of mostly movie stars. But what is that enticing display in the upper left hand corner of his booth? Let’s take a closer look on Page 2 of the Leader’s Report which is at the link below.
Click here for Page 2 of the Leader's Report on the North Carolina Comicon 2019
Click here to return the Main Introduction Page for the Leader’s Report on the Captain's Comic Expo and the South Carolina Comicon